Celebrating the Impact of WEF Grants

$8,000
Submitted by Cathy Eggleston
McCord Middle School

The McCord Community Building Courtyard Committee was awarded a WEF grant to transform their outdoor courtyard into an inviting outdoor space for students. The space has can be used in many ways: teachers can use the space for outdoor classes, the nature club can plant a garden, Daily Living Skills students & general ed students can use the space to interact and form community, and more. With this grant, the committee will purchase sunshades, seating, indoor/outdoor carpeting, an outdoor white board in cabinet, moveable planters, sensory items, and more.

$5,500
Submitted by Molly Patridge
Worthingway Middle School

150 kids will be involved in the planning and creating of a collaborative mural project in partnership with a local artist. This project will expand on an existing theme of what it means to be part of a community. Students will participate in every phase of the process from brainstorming ideas, developing designs, and assisting with installation. All those who visit Worthingway would be able to view and engage with the completed mural for years to come!

$2,532
Submitted by Mel Merringer
Colonial Hills Elementary School

Colonial Challenge Course in an innovative expansion of their elementary physical education adventure course designed to push students to grow both physically and mentally. This grant purchased Jacob's ladders and rope swings for the gym. These additions are used during the month-long unit and provide an opportunity for students to test their limits, think critically under pressure, and celebrate success. 

$2,100
Submitted by Lisa Christy
Worthington Kilbourne High School

This grant enabled the WKHS Model UN group to participate in the Ohio State Model United Nations conference where students researched and represented different countries while engaging in discussions, forming alliances, and drafting resolutions alongside hundreds of other high school students from across the state. Model UN offers an exceptional opportunity for students to apply their academic knowledge in real-world scenarios. This money acted as seed money to allow the club to start functioning efficiently and plan for long-term fundraising efforts.

$2,000
Submitted by Jodie Pierpoint
Wilson Hill Elementary School

Wonderbooks provide audio narration to read-along books, making for an interactive reading experience. Wilson Hill used this funding to expand their Wonderbook library to include books for all grade levels and include more representation of the school population.

$1,000
Submitted by Brianna Abbott
Worthington Kilbourne High School

The Counseling and Mental Health Department applied for the grant to create a Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) Lab. This dedicated space serves as a calming and supportive environment to de-stress, regulate emotions, and practice resiliency. The lab consists of a walking pad, weighted balls, balance board, shaking sticks, weighted stuffed animals, yoga mats, and more. 

$861
Submitted by Amanda Hollingsworth
Slate Hill Elementary School

This space is designed to support student's emotional regulation, focus, and readiness to learn. Students now have a safe, structured place with an adult present to help them get back to their classroom to learn. This room has three defined spaces: a calm zone, a reflection zone, and a focus zone. The grant helped purchase items that create these zones and this room.

$660
Submitted by Stephanie Richardson
Worthington Park Elementary School

Grant funding purchases two kid-friendly cardboard cutting machines, as well as two teacher hand cutters. Both sets can be shared amongst elementary buildings for young students to create recycled cardboard sculptures of all kinds! These saws provide a high level of student engagement, giving kids the skills to create and collaborate as teams or independently while exploring a new talent creating sculptures.

$638
Submitted by Brice Baker
Bluffsview Elementary School

To enhance the effectiveness of the Bluffsview sensory space, the grant funds were used to purchase a steamroller sensory tool, which is an evidence-based intervention that provides structured deep pressure input through adjustable rollers. Deep pressure stimulation has been widely studied in the field of therapy and sensory integration and shows that this type of input has a calming and organizing effect on the nervous system.

$550
Submitted by Melanie Brinich
Worthington Park Elementary School

5th grade students took on the role of an architect and worked together to design a multi-level and multi-dimensional bird house that coincides with their CKLA curriculum. The bird houses are functional and maintained by students and teachers and displayed outside the school to allow for all grade level learning opportunities.

$500
Submitted by Heather Gagne
Slate Hill Elementary School

This grant funded a sensory path at Slate Hill. Money was be used for interactive floor and wall decals that provide movement breaks, improve coordination, and help students reset during transitions. 

$500
Submitted by Anastasia Mayberry
Granby Elementary School

This grant was used to purchase more MP3 Playaway audiobooks for the library. Previously, they only had about 20 and there was a very long waitlist for them. These audiobooks allow for all families to use these pocket-sized audiobooks to support their CKLA learning.

$200
Submitted by Celeste Preisse
Thomas Worthington High School

Cardinal Crew is an inclusive in-school peer group program at Thomas Worthington designed to foster friendships and support between students with and without special needs. Cardinal Crew meets once a month and this grant money supports and purchases items for fun seasonal activities such as "find someone who bingo", making gratitude turkeys, relay races, and more.

$1,070
Submitted by Rick Armstrong
Granby Elementary School

This grant was given to assist with the purchase of balance bikes used during Granby's PE classes as students are practicing and learning to pedal. It is clear that the Granby bike program is a gem in our community and we are excited to be able to fund 10 more bikes allowing full classes to bike at the same time.

$10,000
Submitted by Nick Wiedenhoft & Mark Gallagher
Worthingway Middle School

Funds were used to create a strength training room. 4 squat/bench racks with weights, 2 sets of dumbbells, and mats were purchased. The room is used during wellness for life classes, during community time and other athletic times (many of which are shared with Kilbourne Middle School) with proper supervision. Weight training is proven to increase dopamine levels and can help relieve depression, decrease anxiety, improve students’ mood and help them feel motivated. It meets Ohio PE standard 3, which states students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness. 

$2,781
Submitted by Kelly Swearingen
Thomas Worthington High School

Funds were awarded to train a therapy dog to be introduced at TWHS in the 2025-2026 school year.  The therapy dog is used for emotional support, anxiety/stress relief, support for students with special needs, counseling and mental health services, improvement of social skills, and crisis intervention. Kelly Swearingen purchased a mini Bernedoodle, Penny, in Spring 2025 and her training and certification was completed in summer 2026.

$1,759
Submitted by Rob Smith
Worthington Hills Elementary School

With a grant from the WEF, an outdoor bike mechanic area for all of the Worthington Hills students was launched. The area has a commercial outdoor bike stand/tool center as well as an outdoor commercial pump. Students can use the center before school, after school, and in school (integrated into Wellness4Life standards, 4/5 science standards, EPP projects, and in a midday recess service opportunity), and learn to become mechanics!

$2,500
Submitted by Colleen Kochensparger
Slate Hill Elementary School

This WEF grant was used to create a board game collection for the Slate Hill school library. Students are able to borrow board games to take home to play with their families, neighbors, to foster intentional learning through play as well as foster intentional family time. These games are catalogued through the library, and the librarian has provided multilingual instruction manuals for as many games as possible. 

$500
Submitted by Ryan Alexis, Music Teacher
Kilbourne Middle School

Funds provided personnel and administration three master classes taught by professional musicians from the McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra for Kilbourne Middle School flute, clarinet and trumpet students. 

$1,800  
Submitted by Maria Gardner
Sutter Park Preschool
Preschoolers enjoyed gardening experiences throughout the school year with a combination of indoor and outdoor activities that promote healthy eating habits among our picky eaters and provide sensory exploration. The goal was to improve student participants’ communication skills, academics, self-regulation and social skills.

$1,400 
Submitted by Allison Kestner, Tori Lowman, Courtney Cavener, SCLC Team
Bluffsview Elementary School

This grant helped create a sensory room with equipment to students in the Structured Communication Learning Center (SCLC). The SCLC serves 18 students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in kindergarten through sixth grade. Students with ASD often display problematic behavior that is related to their inability to effectively process sensory information. The new equipment allowed kids to get their sensory needs met in safe and appropriate ways and return to learning with increased focus and relaxation to promote deeper cognitive development.

$1,500 
Submitted by Adrienne Carr, Dean
Thomas Worthington High School

People Using Raw Potential Optimizing Student Excellence (PURPOSE) is a group founded by a former TWHS student who saw the need to target students in need of self-esteem and self-development, usually those in the lowest 30 percent academically. Funds were used to build and implement a research-based, one-year program to equip students with hope and to teach skills for school success, self-reflection, and how to contribute to their community.

$4,300 
Submitted by Patrick Callaghan, Director of Elementary Education
Worthington City Schools

Inspired by the Columbus-based “Harmony Project,” this grant helped create a vehicle to develop academic support and life skills with underperforming students in grades 4 through 6 in all 11 elementary schools. Student participants will take on the role of character ambassadors in their schools to develop leadership. The program culminated with a public celebration including parents, teachers and invited community members through music and written student reflections. After the inaugural year, the program was supported by PTAs, local businesses, and the Elementary Education Department.

$4,300 
Submitted by Traci Funk, Tracy Ruffing, Megan Guyer, Andrea Jewett, Lizzie Perilman, Mandy Ballreich & Tina Swearengin
Granby Elementary School

These funds continue to improve the mental and physical health and well-being of all students while providing opportunities for real-world learning, problem solving, and critical thinking through hands-on experiences in an innovative outdoor classroom. The grant funded a part of a project to include a school garden, permanent shade structure, and outdoor seating. Teachers, students and families plant, maintain and harvest the garden through the school year and summer months.

$1,075 
Submitted by Susan Hrenko and Casey Goff, Intervention Specialists
Worthington Kilbourne HS

A school garden teaches students many life lessons including time management, teamwork, and responsibility. Students gain skills and understanding of how to plant, grow and harvest food. Principals, guidance counselors, and staff collaborate with families on the project.

$767 
Submitted by David Signet
Slate Hill Elementary School

Funds helped purchase Grade 5 Math Reads program, which provides support to classroom teachers by integrating children’s literature into math instruction. Connection to standards of mathematical practice and Common Core standards were provided. Books and corresponding lessons were used at the beginning and end of each unit to engage students and stimulate their imaginations. More than 70 fifth grade students and all math teachers in the building have access to this innovative approach to learning.

$2,187
Submitted by Catie Fisher, Lindsey Danhoff, Angela Evans, Teachers at Evening Street Elementary; Sara Dale and Sarah Tsung,  Julie Payne, Instructional Coach
Liberty Elementary

These grant funds sent two teachers to the Responsive Classroom Course and one to attend the advanced course. Attendees then provided professional development to their fellow teachers. The philosophy ensures the teaching and learning environments respond to the needs of the students both academically and in a social-emotional format. Following this model, teachers learned to be responsive to the needs of students rather than reactive.

$975 
Submitted by Joy Nieto and Jacob Reed, General Music
Worthingway Middle School

Funds helped purchase 13 ukuleles for general music class. This hands-on learning opportunity allows students to practice rhythm, melodic patterns, improvisation and compose/arrange music in the treble clef. Currently, students learn the basics of drums and piano keyboard, and now the ukuleles offer students exposure to a stringed instrument.

$2,806 
Submitted by Kelly Marshall and Jill Zingery, Training Specialist and Job Training Consultant
TWHS and WKHS

This grant expanded on a program previously supported by the WEF. CVS donated shelving, signage, training materials and products to create a mock store to be housed at Worthington Academy. The project enhances student work experiences while participating in transition courses designed to prepare students with disabilities for supported or competitive employment during or after high school. 

$500 
Submitted by Jacob Reed, Music Educator and Tricia Merenda, ELA Coordinator
TWHS

This was an interdisciplinary collaboration between students, a poet, a teacher/composer, and the McConnell Arts Center. The poet visited creative writing classes to engage students in a poetry analysis. The composer made new music for three poems which were premiered by a guest soprano at a concert open to the public. Students broadened their understanding of the creative process and enhanced their communication and public expression skills.

$3,750 
Submitted by Arin Kress
Worthington Estates Elementary School

This project was aimed at increasing student comprehension and focus by allowing students the opportunity to walk while learning an academic lesson via a podcast. Lessons are geared toward literacy, science, health and social studies and meet the Common Core standards. The lessons last about 15 minutes each, and students participate in a discussion after each lesson. 

$500 
Submitted by James Canterbury, Mary Spencer, Kevin Swabb and Joy Nieto
Worthingway Middle School

Water streams help with a conceptual understanding of how rivers behave, including water-induced and topsoil erosion. Eight Hubbard Scientific Stream Table kits were purchased with this grant, and the school’s science budget was used to buy sand, clay, topsoil and other materials to support inquiry into the behavior of water. The hands-on learning took place in small lab groups.

$375 
Submitted by Natalie Fei
Worthingway Middle School

Worthingway Middle School has a diverse student population with more than 40 percent of students identifying as part of one or more minority group. There can be challenges in working effectively with a more diverse student population due to our implicit biases, or our unconscious reactions and judgments of different people. The Kirwan Institute at The Ohio State University is the leading research agency on how our unconscious biases shape our beliefs, attitudes and behavior. Through their training, the Kirwan Institute teaches how our minds operate, how these biases affect us in the real world, and how we can guard ourselves against our own biases. The entire school staff benefitted from this training.

$3,050 
Submitted by Cathy Eggleston of McCord Middle School on behalf of all School Counselors

The Worthington School Counselors K-12 bring relevant and informative presentations to our parents and community to help them feel supported and connected to our schools. The Gestalt Institute of Central Ohio present to parents, teachers and school counselors district wide via a series of three topics including the importance of letting children struggle, relationship skills, and anxiety/helping children cope with stress.